McDonald’s Makes Even Oatmeal Bad for You

This is remarkable even by McDonald’s standards, writes foodie Mark Bittman in the New York Times: The chain has taken oatmeal—one of the world’s most simple, inexpensive, and nutritious foods—and turned it into a pricey concoction with more sugar than a Snicker’s bar and about the same number of calories as a cheeseburger. McDonald’s calls it a “bowl of wholesomeness,” but it’s really just “expensive junk food.”

So why bother putting oatmeal on the menu to begin with? Easy, writes Bittman. “McDonald’s wants to get people in the store. Once a day, once a week, once a month, the more the better, of course, but routinely. And if you buy oatmeal, they’re OK with that. But they know that, once inside, you’ll probably opt for a sausage biscuit anyway . And you won’t be much worse off.”